The importance of maintaining strong core muscles for general fitness and the prevention of injuries is well known. Well conditioned core muscle groups, such as the abdominals, the hamstrings and the lower back muscles, not only provide one with a slim and fit overall appearance, but can also contribute to better balance and posture and increased overall body strength. Development of the core muscles can also help one in overcoming lower back pain. This has been well known for years, but undue emphasis has been placed on working the abdominals only, as can be appreciated by considering all of the home-based exercise apparatus that target the abdominals, from “crunch” exercise apparatus to torso-twisting apparatus and many others. In the case of treating back pain and injury, working the abdominals without working other core muscles can lead to an muscle imbalance that can create additional problems for the lower back. Nevertheless, these apparatus are fairly popular despite their narrow focus on developing the abdominals because they are compact and storable and are perceived as providing a good work out for core muscle groups.
The present invention addresses the need for developing strong core muscles for general overall fitness and, in particular instances, for the prevention of and rehabilitation from back muscle and cartilage injuries, particularly in the lower lumbar region of the back. Particularly useful exercise methods and apparatus for this purpose are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,356,359 and 6,491,607, and they have been successfully used in many exercise gyms and rehabilitation centers. However, the apparatus disclosed therein are significantly permanent structures demanding dedicated space for their use, and are thus not suitable for use in the home or in other settings where it is impractical to permanently dedicate space to an exercise apparatus of substantial size.
This invention seeks to address the need for a more complete core muscle work out particularly in the home environment and other areas where space cannot be dedicated to the more permanent and substantial core muscle apparatus of the prior art. Thus, this invention addresses the need in the art for a collapsible and storable apparatus for exercising the core muscles of the body, particularly including the abdominals, hamstrings, and lower back.